Not sure, but I might go buy a can of that now for the example. All I know is that it's the same flavor I got in a helles brewed with rahr pils. I thought it was just the malt character but I think it's something else now.

Not sure, but I might go buy a can of that now for the example. All I know is that it's the same flavor I got in a helles brewed with rahr pils. I thought it was just the malt character but I think it's something else now.

Probably a dumb question but ... your not boiling with the lid on are you?

A more general question: if his problem were indeed DMS, would you be able to taste that in the post-boil wort? That is, would you be able to notice this and possibly boil some more at that time? Or does this sort of flaw only become evident after fermentation?

I had two lagers go South on me and I figured out it was because I left them in the fridge overnight to cool and they got an infection. Wondering if this could be your case as well.

Unless your sanitation practices are questionable this should not be a problem. I followed that practice for years with never a problem.

Sanitation is good, chest freezer gets a little moldy in the summer even with damp rid. The only other thing is having the blow off liquid sucked up the tube when crash cooling. I hate when that happens.

Not sure, but I might go buy a can of that now for the example. All I know is that it's the same flavor I got in a helles brewed with rahr pils. I thought it was just the malt character but I think it's something else now.

Probably a dumb question but ... your not boiling with the lid on are you?

Nope, not boiling with the lid on. But, as I feared, I think it may be the regulator. I tapped the pilsner tonight that I'm carbonating with a different regulator and it tastes good. I fear the regulator might have gotten beer in there at some point a few years ago when beer backed up in there. But, that's not to say it's a definite. Just that it's not tasting funky......yet. Tastes like a pilsner! So, I don't know whether I should buy a new regulator (the one I'm carbonating the pilsner with is a single gauge regulator, so I have no way of knowing how much gas is left)...or what. I've soaked the co2 lines and manifold in pbw and rinsed really well, recently. So, a beer changing in the keg as it carbonates points me towards contamination in the gas side somewhere...just like I was having with the butterscotchy crap. Do I have bad luck with kegging or what?

Could you spray the tank side of the regulator intake with Star San (allowing it to pool up in the stem a bit) and then hook up the tank and push the Star San through the regulator? It make take a few times of disconnecting and reconnecting to fully coat the inside of the regulator, but I would give it a try...it might work?

Not sure, but I might go buy a can of that now for the example. All I know is that it's the same flavor I got in a helles brewed with rahr pils. I thought it was just the malt character but I think it's something else now.

Probably a dumb question but ... your not boiling with the lid on are you?

Nope, not boiling with the lid on. But, as I feared, I think it may be the regulator. I tapped the pilsner tonight that I'm carbonating with a different regulator and it tastes good. I fear the regulator might have gotten beer in there at some point a few years ago when beer backed up in there. But, that's not to say it's a definite. Just that it's not tasting funky......yet. Tastes like a pilsner! So, I don't know whether I should buy a new regulator (the one I'm carbonating the pilsner with is a single gauge regulator, so I have no way of knowing how much gas is left)...or what. I've soaked the co2 lines and manifold in pbw and rinsed really well, recently. So, a beer changing in the keg as it carbonates points me towards contamination in the gas side somewhere...just like I was having with the butterscotchy crap. Do I have bad luck with kegging or what?

I decided to just get all new co2 side stuff (other than gas disconnects, which are easily disassembled and cleaned). Upgraded to a dual pressure gauge regulator. I may take this current one apart to see if it can be cleaned and rebuilt. Also got a new 4 way manifold, upgrade from a 3, so I can have a 4th keg carbonating. Figured, why the hell not. It's a little money I have to spend, plus I had a gift card for Northern Brewer anyway. Be nice if I could get the other regulator functional again. We shall see.